Man brushes with stars as golf caddie

In 1994, then 12-year-old Lorcan Morris was changing a trash can at the Ladies Irish Open in Ireland. As a Boy Scout, he was doing community service there in the evenings.

Molly Phipps

In 1994, then 12-year-old Lorcan Morris was changing a trash can at the Ladies Irish Open in Ireland. As a Boy Scout, he was doing community service there in the evenings.

Laura Davies, a professional golfer and female golf legend, saw him and asked, "Why are you taking out the trash? You should be carrying my bag.”

Davies asked Morris to caddie for her for the next eight holes. That week, he became good friends with Davies and the following year she got him a job caddying for Sophie Gustafson, a Swedish professional golfer.

“I couldn’t even carry the bag, because the bag was bigger than I was,” said Morris.

For 20 years now, Morris has kept in touch with Davies and Gustafson. He is now a caddie for Katie Futcher on the LPGA Tour . He and his wife Kimberly spend a lot of time in Cleveland County, where she is from, and plan to make a permanent home here soon.

In college at Wingate University, Morris played five years of golf. He even tried out professional golf for a while.

But when he finished playing professionally, he called Davies and Gustafson.

“I said I wanted to start caddying, so they got me my first job on the LPGA Tour,” he said.

30-second conversation changed his life

Morris’ path to becoming a caddie was not typical.

“It was being in the right place at the right time,” he said. “And it’s unbelievable that at 12 years old, that 30-second conversation has changed my life forever.”

As the caddie for Futcher, Morris gets to travel all around the world. But the fame and fortune are not what inspire him.

“To be the best in the world at what I do: that’s what motivates me,” he said. “I’ve been very fortunate that the girl I work for is one of the best players in the world.”

Morris said, on the tour, there are only 100 players in the field and one caddie for every player.

“So you’re in the top 100 of what you do in the world,” he said.

Morris worked for Futcher in both 2010 and 2011. Then he went on the PGA Tour.

Life's better on the bag

Altogether, Morris has played professional golf for four years, including a win at the Charlotte City Amateur.

“And I hated every minute of it,” he said. “I had a daughter and I had to practice and be away for 35 weeks a year. She was growing up in front of me and I didn’t have any time with her.”

So Morris decided to give it up. But he loved being around professional golf, so working as a caddie is the best of both worlds.

Now, his 5-year-old daughter, Trinity, loves golf, too.

“So now I’m playing every day with her. She wants to play 90 percent of the time,” he said.

When Morris was a kid, his heroes were Laura Davies and Nick Faldo.

“If you can imagine being a little girl or little boy, and your idols become some of your personal friends, it’s unbelievable,” said Morris. “From the time I’ve been 12 years old, some of the best golfers in the world have been some of my closest friends.”

He has met other famous people outside the golf circle, including Justin Timberlake, George Lopez, Katherine Heigl, and Michael Jordan. And he has also toured as a caddie with Jennifer Rosales and Sydnee Michaels, female professional golfers both currently on the LPGA.

'Nothing better than coming home'

Morris recently traveled to Hawaii as part of the tour. He said he likes to go home, “cause Ireland’s always going to be home,” but he loves Cleveland County.

“I love living here. My wife and I have seven acres which we’re going to build a house on in the next few years,” he said.

He said he wouldn’t be able to do what he does without the support of his wife and family.

For the foreseeable future, Morris plans to stay with Futcher on tour until she retires.

Morris said of all the places he’s been, he likes Japan, Asia, Australia, but ultimately, the United States.

“I think it’s the greatest country in the world. For me, there’s nothing better than coming home, and going to Shelby, and spending time with Kimberly and her family,” he said.